feel good food that's good for you

One of the things I love most about autumn is the fact that I can legitimately enjoy soup. Of course, one can enjoy soup at any time, but as I hail from a hot climate the idea of soup in the summer jars. Badly. To me it feels like wearing a wool coat and Uggs to the pool. Just wrong.

For work, I make soup pretty much year-round (Scots expect it, as it is quite cool year-round, save that one Tuesday in July that catches you out). Sometimes gazpacho or this beetroot, fennel and cumin soup, or a kind of soup stew hybrid that doesn’t mind being served at room temperature. Even if the thermometer barely troubles the high-teens Celsius, I would never think of ordering soup at a cafe until sometime deep into September. Not until the nighttime temperatures plunge and the daytime is hallmarked by a golden light not seen since last year will I even contemplate something to be supped with a spoon.

And now is that time.

Today’s first soup of Autumn at food to glow is a transitional soup, using any vegetables still being harvested from the garden or look good at the market. For this batch I used the last of my sugarsnap peas – some very fat and starchy specimens that escaped my eye when young and eat-from-the-vine tender. I also cut some kale – which grows year-round for me (I am very lucky); plucked some exceedingly ripe tiger stripe cherry tomatoes; and cut the last fat and stumpy courgette.

I am a little sad now. Andrew just last weekend tore out the courgette plants – both pots of which had been a moderate success this year (oh, the guilt of seeing it crumpled like a curled up spider in the compost bin). And I have just wrenched out the beans and peas, and turned over the soil in readiness for goodness knows what at this time of year.

Never mind, I got a lot from scandalously little effort. Imagine what I could achieve if I knew what I was doing? There’s a thought.

Now I need to put in some effort to make time for soup-making – anything to keep the Uggs and coats at bay. This old Floridian still can’t get used to such alien clobber, despite living here for 26 years. But soup? Yeah, total assimilation.

Mexican (Very) Vegetable & Bean Soup

This easy, slightly spicy (although the heat is really up to you) soup can be made with whatever is seasonal. The main thing to keep it vaguely on a Mexican wave(length) is actually the herbs, lime and pickled jalapenos – all easily obtained year round. Do adjust to your own palate, although I have deliberately kept it on the family-friendly end of the spectrum. “For once”, you might legitimately add. 😉

Enjoy xx

1 red onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely minced or smashed

4 medium carrots, finely chopped

1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground to a powder

1.7 litres (60 fl oz) light vegetable stock

6 medium ripe tomatoes, chopped OR tin/jar of best-quality whole tomatoes (crush them as you add to the pan)

1. Saute the onion in a large saucepan. After the onion has started to colour add the garlic, carrot and cumin. Saute for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Add stock and tomatoes to the pan and bring to the boil. Add the greens, courgette, sugarsnap peas, corn, zest of lime, pinto beans, herbs and jalapenos and return to the boil, then simmer for ten minutes. Finish with the lime juice.

3. If you like, while the soup is simmering, add the optional extra herbs, jalapenos, lime juice and jalapeno juice to the bowl of a small food processor or to a blender and blend briefly to make a chunky topping/sauce. Mix with a little olive oil if you like.

Serving suggestion: Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt, plant milk yogurt or crème fraiche, and a drizzle of the herb sauce. Brilliant with southern cornbread (in a recipe with my black bean chilli – another great fall idea) or even these super easy flatbreads (with my spicy peanut soup). And a crush of plain tortillas wouldn’t be a bad idea.

For a soft food diet: blend to your needs.

you don’t need a big garden to grow kale! Kale can grow on a balcony, on steps in pots, or in raised beds. A super easy and satisfying crop to grow. I’ve got them growing in pots and beds around the garden.

I still can not accept summer is over… Even though we didn’t have a proper summer here in London (at least the way an Italian defines summer), but I agree with you, one thing that helps coping with the cold weather is soup!

I totally agree with you about autumn! I love soups, stews, casseroles etc. but somehow it feels wrong to eat them in the summer (doesn’t always stop me though!) I love that the weather is turning cooler now(I may be the only one!) so that I can eat all those lovely autumn comfort foods again without feeling slightly silly! Love the look of this soup. Will have to have a go at making it!

It is still fairly warm up here in Scotland during the day (yesterday got up to 20C!) Ed, but the nights are getting cold, and I am using soups as my central heating instead of turning up the thermostat!

I made salsa verde the other day but veggie teen (quite rightly) refused to eat any because although there were no anchovies in it (due to KP’s anchovy aversion) I’d put some Worcestershire sauce in. This spicy rap on a salsa verde sounds right up her street – and we always have Jalepenos in the fridge…. not much of my cooking is family friendly if you are spice averse! Gorgeously vibrant, healthy and appetising as always Kellie.

Thanks so much Sally. A little dab of spice in anything not actually sweet is pretty much my hallmark. Either as a dash of one of my many hot sauces we’ve collected (it’s a family thing) or something like this.

You had me at Jalapeno Herb Topping!!!! But, seriously, I am catching up on all of your scrumptious recipes, yet commenting on the one I am mostly UNlikely to cook right now. Because it’s SO not soup weather here in San Diego. And that is wrong. We have been having heat wave after heat wave, and it hasn’t even been cooling off at night like it usually does. Sigh….But I know I should not complain about San Diego weather, so I’ll save this soup for another day. Hopefully very, very soon 🙂

Kellie, I’m in love with this soup… I love everything Mexican ever since I went there for the first time back in ’98… And your soup sounds seriously delicious, I want this today for dinner. Pinned, shared and all 😉

I'm Kellie, an ex-pat American cancer health educator with a taste for global food - and big flavours - made with fresh, seasonal British ingredients. Food To Glow is mainly 'plant-based', but you will find the occasional decadent treat - usually with a healthy tweak. Although I'm an omnivore, I speak fluent vegan: most of my non-vegan recipes will have vegan alternatives, as well as gluten-free and soft food diet options where appropriate. All recipes are tested out on family, friends and/or my cancer nutrition classes at the Maggies Cancer Caring Centres. You are very welcome to read, comment and share!

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